So I’ve started this page because I kept telling myself I was going to be more creative. As I child I loved words – I loved the written word but also the spoken word. There is so much magic in storytelling. As a kid, my family had a weekend movie ritual. We four would go the the local cineplex and spend the entire day there, watching one film multiple times or sneaking into other theaters and watching several films. It was something that never got tired or stale to me and I always looked forward to this weekly observance. It was a practice that I carried from a very young age and got me through my teenage angst, the silliness of my 20s, the buckling down in my 30s and even now into my 40s. Its something that I shared passionately with my then boyfriend and now husband and which we in turn continue to foster with our kids.

When I was very young, my mother was a stay-at-home mom who was always there and who also had a creative streak – from making our clothes from scratch to the assorted little classes she took like stain glass work that gave her purpose outside of being a mother to myself and my brother. My father loved to read and learn and always told us that the world was so big and vast and we should always try new things and learn new lessons every day. I truly believe that the amalgamation of those two created what I became – a true lover of words and creativity.

When I started my high school career, I went to a school that was specialized and in NYC. It was a big step for a girl from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. For the four years I was there, I would get on the R train and get off on 23rd Street and walk over to my school – the High School of Fashion Industries – where I majored in Fashion Design. At that point I really wanted to be a dressmaker and designer. What I learned in my four years was that I disliked the cutthroat-ness of the fashion industry and I thought maybe I could be a wardrobe assistant for the theater but one day, as I cut school and sat in a big, almost empty movie theater watching something I don’t even remember, it dawned on me that even though what I was watching was terrible and unmemorable, I really loved movies and that maybe this was the path I should take – to write and make movies. So when I went off to college, I majored in Film Production at a CUNY school and went on to cementing my absolute love of movies. I loved everything about my time at school and the things I learned and friendships I made. I learned how to cut actual film using a Steenbeck machine and even after all these decades could probably still figure my way around that prehistoric machine. Funny enough, two years after I graduated, my old alma mater moved onto digital.

I tried many times and sadly, unsuccessfully, to break into film. I worked on independent projects with friends and acquaintances, mostly for no pay but I have fond memories of that time in my life and would probably do everything the same again. However, after so many rejections, my Dad sat me down and convinced me to maybe get a job as a secretary like my cousin, Maria, for as he put it, “medical benefits AND a steady paycheck.” It was hard to debate that logic but part of me thought I would always go back to that thing I really loved and that I would eventually make movies. My life as a secretary would only be a temporary place holder in an otherwise fantastic career in film. Its funny how life happens though and now, a husband, 2 kids and about 50 pounds later – I am still a secretary although my official title is administrative assistant. And not to toot my horn but I’m fairly good at what I do and am confident I could excel in any sector as an admin, yet part of me still pines for another chance at doing something a little more creative and fun.

And so, after many years of nagging, my darling husband has created this page for me as a online portfolio to use to get all those projects out of my head and into the world. Part of me is nervous as it’s not always easy to put yourself out there and open to critique but another part of me is looking forward to it and is ready to tackle this as another phase in a very well lived life.

So here I go……..